Immigration Policy & Restaurant Workforce Webinar

Join us for an insightful, interactive session specifically designed to support our hospitality and lodging community. In this exclusive briefing, industry experts will dive into the latest strategies, updates, and operational insights you need to navigate the current landscape.

Immigration enforcement remains a heightened and evolving issue for restaurant operators. With one of the most diverse workforces in the country, restaurants must stay attentive to I‑9 requirements, Notices of Inspection, and other potential enforcement actions—while also monitoring new legal and policy developments that could impact their teams.

Join the National Restaurant Association and the Restaurant Law Center for a practical discussion led by Littler attorneys, Bruce Buchanan and Deepti Orekondy. This session will examine current compliance considerations - ICE’s new guidance on what are I-9 substantive errors, ICE Enforcement Actions, including Notice of Inspection, Search and Seizure Warrants (raids), and Administrative Warrants, and how restaurant management should respond to the enforcement actions.

The conversation will also address the recent Supreme Court’s ruling on Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and what it may mean for restaurants. For restaurants, TPS-related changes could impact workforce stability and create operational uncertainty, making it critical for operators to understand what to watch in the months ahead.

Designed for restaurant owners, operators, and HR professionals, this webinar offers timely insights and operational considerations relevant to today’s enforcement and policy environment.

Please note: This webinar is closed to press.

Participants will explore:

Defining ICE’s new guidance on Substantive Errors: Overview of the new substantive errors and what does it mean for restaurants.

Understanding the enforcement landscape: Overview of common immigration enforcement scenarios affecting restaurants, including ICE I‑9 audits, raids, and administrative warrants , as well as employer obligations and potential risks.

Monitoring policy developments impacting the workforce: Insights into the Supreme Court’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) ruling, why it matters for restaurant employers, and what to watch as DHS and USCIS determine implementation timelines,  and employment authorization considerations.

Preparing your restaurant for potential enforcement: Practical steps to support readiness, including proactive I‑9 internal compliance audits, developing an internal Plan of Action , identifying trained points of contact, and understanding next steps when an ICE action Enforcement is received.

Responding during an enforcement action: Key considerations if ICE visits a restaurant, including verifying documentation, understanding employer rights, and minimizing operational disruption while remaining compliant.